An injured snowmachiner caught in an avalanche near the border was picked up by a Southeast Alaska Backcountry Adventure helicopter Wednesday evening and brought into Haines for medical treatment. SEABA founder Nick Trimble said a group with the injured person contacted SEABA directly for help, which is not unusual, but rarely happens. “We’ve done a […]
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Posted inNews
SEABA hosts Instagram models in marketing effort
A bevy of Instagram models and “influencers” descended on Haines earlier this month as a promotion for Haines-based heliski company Southeast Alaska Backcountry Adventures. Costumed in full spandex for an 80’s dance party, they hung out in front of the Fogcutter Bar and at Fort Seward Lodge. Fitness icon Lauren Abraham recently signed a five-year contract with SEABA as […]
Posted inSports
SEABA investigated for heliskiing in Glacier Bay National Park
Heliski company Southeast Alaska Backcountry Adventures (SEABA) had “significant activity” on Glacier Bay National Park land on March 17, according to the Haines Borough’s 2020 heliski season-end report. “If it occurred, it wouldn’t be a gray area for us. There’s multiple violations of law,” Glacier Bay National Park superintendent Philip Hooge said, adding that the park is […]
Posted inLetters to the Editor
SEABA rigged results of noise study
The Haines Borough has received multiple complaints regarding commercial helicopters using the temporary heliport at 26 Mile. Complaints and borough responses are posted on the borough website. In response to eyewitness testimony, it appears the borough expended great efforts to disprove citizens’ observations, rather than to fairly evaluate which of our laws were broken, when, and by whom. Examination […]
Posted inNews
Sosa OKs SEABA skier-day request
Haines Borough Manager David Sosa has set the skier day allocations for the 2015 heli-ski season and has decided not to penalize a company that had a guide die on its watch last season. Sosa gave Southeast Alaska Backcountry Adventures 1,000 of the 1,000 requested days. SEABA guide Aaron Karitis, 31, died after being buried by […]
Posted inNews
SEABA fined $21K, put on 4 years of probation
Local heli-ski company Southeast Alaska Backcountry Adventures on April 17 agreed to pay more than $20,000 in fines and be placed on four years of probation after pleading guilty to repeatedly and intentionally trespassing on Bureau of Land Management property. The dozens of illegal landings came to light after a BLM Office of Law Enforcement […]
Posted inThank You Letters
Thanks SEABA, for Big Air’s big grins
I think everyone who attended the Big Air competition on Sunday would agree that Southeast Alaska Backcountry Adventures deserves a hearty thank you. It’s not every day that a sizeable chunk of the community gets to congregate at that elevation. An additional thank-you to Luck Dunbar and crew for putting everything together. With the combination of daring […]
Posted inThank You Letters
Thanks to SEABA for offering class
During the winter months, eighth grade students at the middle school, led by Jon Gellings of Southeast Alaska Backcountry Adventures, dug their way through the Avalanche One certification course. A big thank you to Jon and SEABA for helping put together this valuable classroom and field experience for our youth. There are now 21 certified eighth-graders in […]
Posted inNews
SEABA: No more heli-skiing for ’14
Southeast Alaska Backcountry Adventures co-owner Scott Sundberg said the company has shut down its heli-ski operations for the remainder of the season. Sundberg said the company decided to shut down for a variety of reasons, including consideration for personnel who were “devastated” by the March 15 avalanche that killed SEABA guide Aaron Karitis. Poor snowpack and difficult […]
Posted inNews, Public Safety
Avalanche buries, kills SEABA guide
Southeast Alaska Backcountry Adventures heli-skiing guide Aaron Karitis of Bend, Ore., died Monday night at Anchorage’s Providence Medical Center following a Saturday avalanche west of Haines. The state medical examiner’s office said it received a report of Karitis’ death from the hospital at about 11:30 p.m. According to trooper spokesperson Beth Ipsen, Karitis was not […]